Telltale device



Oct. 27, 1936. D. c. RocKoLA 2,058,722

' TELLTALE DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H Js ATTORNEYSOct. 27, 1936. D. c. RocKpL-A TELLTALE DEVICE Filed Aug. .28, 19:55 2sheets-sheet 2 aw'd CZacol INVENTOR.

H15 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to a tell-tale device.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatuswhich is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficientin use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtell-tale ydevice for indicating when a machine, device or apparatus, inwhich the same is mounted, has been tilted from its play or operatingpositions, as in an attempt to operate the same fraudulently withoutpayment of a proper coin.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel andimproved tell-tale device especially adapted for use in conjunction withamusement game apparatus and adapted to indicate whenA the apparatus hasbeen tilted or tipped from its proper operating position for any reason,as by the player attempting to operate the same fraudulently withoutpayment of a proper coin.

Other objects will .appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a game apparatus embodying apreferred form of the new tell-tale device;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View on line 2 2 in Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom perspective view of the parts shown inFig. 3.

A game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the new tell-tale deviceis shown in the drawings, is therein generally indicated at I D, andcomprises a cabinet I I which includes a substantially horizontal wallor member I2, the member I2 being arranged adjacent the playing memberI3.

The new tell-tale device is generally indicated at I4, `in the drawings,and comprises a substantially cylindrical tell-tale member I5, thistelltale member I5 having a frusto-conical base I5 which is adapted torest in a corresponding seat or opening I'I which is formed in themember I2 so as to hold the tell-tale member I5 in upright or verticalposition, as in full lines, Fig. 2.

Attached to the tell-tale member I5 at the lower end of the latter is .aflexible element or chain I8. Having one end attached to the chain I8 atthe lower end of the latter is a coil spring I9, the other end of thespring I 9 being attached to an arm 20 of a resetting member which isgenerally indi- 5 cated at 2|. This resetting member 2| is pivotallymounted between its ends, as at 22, upon .a supporting bracket 23 whichdepends from the wall I2 of the cabinet I (l.

Slidably mounted on a wall 24 of the cabinet I I 10 is a coin slide orcarriage, which is generally indicated at 25, and this carriage has ahandle portion 26 which projects exteriorly of the cabinet I I through aslot 2l formed in the wall 24 of the cabinet II (Fig. 1). Slide 25 alsohas a ser- 15 rated edge 62 engageable by a full-stroke locking pawl 54,which prevents return of the slide 25 from any but its full-strokeposition.

Formed in the wall 24 of the cabinet II, adjacent the slot 2l, is a coinreceiving aperture or 20 slot 28 (Figs. 1 and 3) and mounted in thecabinet I I, on the inner side of the wall 24, is a trackway 29 whichconsists of two spaced horizontal rails 30; the carriage 25 includes aportion 3| which projects laterally across the rails 3U of 25 thetrackway 23 above the latter (Fig. 2).

The pivoted member 2| includes an arm 32 and this .arm 32 is adapted tobe projected into, and to work in a space or slot 33 which is providedbetween the portion 3| of the carriage 25 and the 30 body 34 of the same(Fig. 2).

Having one end attached to the arm 20 of the pivoted member 2|, as at36, is a resetting spring 35, the outer end of which is Xed in thecabinet I I, as at 3l, and the spring 35 normally urges the 35 pivotalmember 2| in a clockwise direction (Figs.

3 and 5).

Pivotally mounted between its ends in the cabinet II, as at 38, is alatch member 39. This latch member 39 has an arm 4I.) which projects 40into the path of the lateral extension 48 of the slidable carriage 25.The latch member 33 alsol includes an arm 42 which is latchingly engage-.able with an arm 43 of the pivoted member 2|. The end of the arm 42 ofthe latch member 39 45 is provi-ded with .a notched portion 44 whichengages with a lateral extension or arm 45 which is formed onthe arm 43of the pivotal member 2|.

The flexible element or chain I8 works around a 50 guide 45.

Normally urging the slidable carriage or coin slide 25 (right to left,Figs. 3 and 4) into its initial position, is a spring lI'I.

Formed in the arm 32 of the member 20 is a 55 notched portion 49 andadjacent the notch 49 is a coin engaging or bearing edge 4I.

Only so much of the coin and resetting mechanism is recited as isbelieved necessary to an understanding of the operation of my tell-taledevice, the resetting mechanism being subject matter disclosed anddescribed in my co-pending application Serial Number 18,175, for Gameapparatus, filed April 25, 1935.

Operation If the cabinet I I, for any reason, is tilted from its normalor proper operating position, such as for the purpose of fraudulentlyoperating the game apparatus, the tell-tale member I5 falls from itsupright or vertical position in which it stands otherwise undisturbedby, and independent of the game element of the apparatus, into asubstantially horizontal position, wherein it rests upon its supportingbase I2, as shown in dotted lines (Fig. 2), and when in this positionthe tell-tale member I5 indicates that the cabinet II has been movedfrom its proper operating position, the tell-tale being clearly visiblein all indicating positions at all times to the operator or proprietorof the device through the glass Walls of the usual cabinet in which thegame apparatus is housed, as shown in the illustrations of the drawings.

When a coin A is inserted into the coin slot 28 it falls by gravity uponthe rails 30 of the trackway or guideway 29, into position shown inFigs. 2 and 4, and in this position the coin projects into the notchedportion 49 which is formed in the arm 32 of the member 20. The operatorthen grasps the handle 26 of the coin slide or carriage 25 and moves thesame (right to left, Fig. 1, left to right, Fig. 3), whereupon the coinengages the member 2| and the portion 3I32 and pivots the same(counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3). Duringthis movement of the coin slide 25 (left to right, Figs. 3 and 4) thearm 20 of the member 2 I-32 acts upon the flexible element or chain I8to pull the latter around the guide 46, thereby raising the tell-talemember I5 into upright position, as in full lines, Fig. 2.

As the coin slide 25 reaches the end of its operative or full stroke,(tothe right, Figs. 3 and 4) and the member 20 reaches d-otted lineposition, Fig. 3, the angled end portion 45 provided on the arm 43 ofthe member 2U engages in the notched position 44 of the latch member 39,and this latching engagement between the notched portion 44 of the latchmember 39 and the angled arm 45 of the member 20 is maintained by aspring 52 (Fig. 3) which acts upon the latch member 39 to pivot the same(counterclockwise, as seen in Fig. 3).

However, the coin disposed on the trackway 29--30 is eventually moved tothe right hand end of the latter (Fig. 3) 0r left end of Fig. 5 by meansto be hereinafter explained and falls off the trackway 29-30, into asuitable receptacle, which may be provided therefor in the cabinet I I,subsequent to the time when the slide 25 reaches full stroke position,wherein it is stopped by engagement of the handle 26 with a stop 50which is provided on the end wall 24 of the cabinet I I.

When the player releases the coin slide 25 and its handle 26, theresetting spring 4'I of the coin slide 25 returns the latter to itsinitial position (right to left, Figs. 3 and 4) and this movement of thecoin slide 25 (from right to left, Figs. 3 and 4) releases the coin fromits wedged position between the bearing edge 4I of the pivoted member2I, which will remain in dotted line position (Fig. 3) because of itslatching engagement with the latch arm 39 at 45-44, and the angled endportion 3I of the cam slide 25 thus allowing the coin to drop by gravityinto a suitable receptacle which may be provided therefor in the cabinetl I.

As the coin slide 25 approaches its initial or coin-receiving position,the extension 48 of the coin slide 25 engages the end portion 5I of thelatch member 39, and thereby pivots the latter (clockwise, Fig. 3). Thismovement of the latch member 39 releases the notched portion 44 thereoffrom latching engagement with the angled en-d portion 45 of the arm 43of the member 2 I, whereupon the tensioned resetting spring 35 acts uponthe member ZI, to pivot the latter (clockwise, from dotted to full lineposition) into its initial position, as in full lines, Fig. 3, therebyregistering the notched portion 49 and the edge 4I of the member 2i withthe coin slot 28, so that the foregoing cycle of operations may berepeated.

The coin slide mechanism includes an elongated bar member 66 having acammed edge (Figs. 3, 4, 5) and secured to the wall 24 co-extensivelywith rails 3G and at a higher level therefrom. It will be observed fromFig. 4 that the coin A carried on rails 30 (left to right) by arm SIwill encounter the cammed edge of bar 66, and as the coin approaches theright end of rails 39, it will be urged off the rails by member 66.

It is understood that the coin slide mechanism, including the pivotedbifurcated arm members 32-43 are adapted to reset an associated gameapparatus, as by the shaft 22 (Figs. 3 and 5) which may be keyed to thearms 32-43 and be operatively associated with any game mechanism belowbase or wall I 2.

While I have illustrated and describe-d the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modification, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game device of the character described the combination of; asupport having a recess formed therein; a tell-tale member movablymounted upon said support and having its lower end portion normallydisposed in said recess so as to hold said tell-tale member in anupright or substantially vertical position when the said support isdisposed in its normal or proper operating position, but said tell-talemember being normally undisturbed by proper operation of the game andbeing movable by gravity into a substantially horizontal position if andwhen the Said support is moved from its normal and proper operatingposition as by fraudulent means; and means for moving said tell-talemember into its normal 0r upright position after operation thereof.

2. In a game device of the 'character described the combination of asupport; a tell-tale member movably mounted upon said support foroperation independent of the normal or authorized operation of the game,and normally disposed in upright or vertical position thereon when thesaid support is in its normal or proper operating position but saidtell-tale member being adapted to move by gravity into a position at anangle to the vertical if and when the said support is moved from itsnormal or proper operating position as by fraudulent attempt to operatesaid game; and

means for resetting the said tell-tale member into its normal or uprightposition after operation thereof.

3. In a game device of the character described, the combination of; asupport; a tell-tale member movably mounted upon said support foroperation independent of the normal game operation per se and normallydisposed in an upright or vertical position thereon when the saidsupport is in its normal or proper operating position but said tell-talemember being adapted to move by gravity into a position at an angle tothe vertical if and when the said support is caused to move from itsnormal or proper operating position by fraudulent or like tilting of thegame device; and means for resetting the said tell-tale member into itsnormal or upright position after operation thereof; said resetting meansincluding a member slidably mounted in said cabinet or casing and havinga handle disposed exteriorly thereof.

4. In a game device of the character described, the combination of; asupport; a tell-tale member movably mounted upon said support andnormally disposed in an upright or vertical position but said tell-talemember being adapted to move independently of the normal or properoperation of the game into a positionat an angle to the vertical if andwhen the said support is moved from its normal or proper operatingposition as by fraudulent disturbance of said game device; and means forresetting the said tell-tale member into its normal or upright positionafter operation thereof; said resetting means including a member movablymounted in said cabinet or casing and having a handle disposedexteriorly thereof.

5. In game devices or the like, a tell-tale mechanism comprising asupport adapted for operative association with said game device, amember movably mounted in said support to stand in an upright orvertical position therein, such position corresponding to the normaloperating position of a said game device, the said tell-tale memberbeing adapted to move by gravity into a position away from the verticalindependently of the normal or authorized operation or playing of agame, and responsive to unauthorized or fraudulent movement of said gamedevice, together with resetting means for said tell-tale member, thesaid means including a flexible connection between the lower or supportend of said tell-tale member and a game operating member whereby thesaid tell-tale member may be moved into vertical position in saidsupport.

DAVID C. ROCKOLA.

